Karl Weick's
Information Systems Theory
The Information Systems Theory was developed by Karl Weick. Weick sees organizing as a process. This process involves making sense out of equivocal information. This means that any message can have a number of meanings. His theory tries to make sense out of these sometimes confusing messages. People need a way to sort out all of the data they are given. One way to do this is to progress through a three stage process known as social-cultural evolution. These stages are enactment, selection, and retention.
Enactment
Don't Just Sit There; Do Something
Weick believes that organizations create their own environments and there are no real boundaries between the organization and the environment. In the enactment stage organization creates their environment. This involves action, which is the key to enactment. The only way to fail is to not act at all.
Selection
Retrospective Sensemaking
The selection step of the process involves two tools-rules and cycles. According to A First Look At Communication rules are "stock responses that have served well in the past and have become standard operating procedure" (268). These rules are basically ideas about how to process information that have worked in the past, but these rules do not always work due to the ambiguity of some situations. The second tool for selction is cycles of the double-interact. These cycles remove equivocality from the situation. Weick says that the more equivocal the information is, the more cycles it will take to reduce the ambiguity.
Retention
Treat Memory as a Pest
Weick thinks that when organizers retain too much information it creates more rules. This makes it harder for a person to respond to complex information. Although some retention of the past is good, too much is a bad thing. That is why he feels that organizers should "treat memory as a pest." This involves challenging what you think you already know. Weick believes that the reason many organizations fail is because they are too dependent on the past and are unable to be flexible.
Take a look at these pages to learn more about Information Systems Theory.
Click here to see a research report by Kevin Cenna. Kevin discusses an article by Monge, Edwards, and Kirste. Kevin then compares the commonalities between Weick's ideas and the ideas of the articles authors.
Click here to see a research report by David Turner. David summarizes and reviews an article that talks about how Weick's theory applies to organizations in today's world.
Click here to see Carla's applications of Weick's theory. Carla tells how Weick's theory applies to the celebration of Halloween at Ohio University.
Click here to see how Miranda applies Information Systems Theory to Atlanta Braves pitcher John Rocker's actions during the 1999 World Series.
Click here to read Matt's critique of Information Systems Theory and whether it is a valid theory.
Click here to see some links to other sites about Information Systems Theory and Karl Weick.
Click here to read about Uncertainty Reduction Theory. This theory is another of the Information Systems Theories and is related to Information Systems Approach to Organizations.
This page was last updated March 14, 2000 by Laura Lavelle